A creamy pasta salad with all your favorite taco toppings! Serve this Creamy Ranch Taco Pasta Salad at your next picnic, barbecue or even a shin-dig and your guests will be begging for more!
Ok. Tex-Mex Foodie Lover checking in once again! I realized that summer was quickly passing me by and I hadn’t posted a pasta salad recipe. Who doesn’t love a classic pasta salad?? Ok. Go ahead and raise your hand if you don’t (hubby included). 🙂 I enjoy them all wholeheartedly…Traditional, Greek, Tex Mex and now Creamy Ranch Taco Pasta Salad!! Oh how I loved each bite of this tasty salad! I had to hide it all the way in the back of the fridge so that I wouldn’t be tempted to eat the entire bowl meant to serve at least 12. 🙂
I combine all of the traditional, yummy Tex-Mex flavors, fun toppings and pasta to create an entire summer meal. You’ve got your protein, your starch and your veggies conveniently served together so it’s no must and no fuss! Best served at room temperature, this is an easy “go to” meal in the dog days of summer when you don’t need a hot oven on all day to prepare lunch or even dinner.
Creamy Ranch Taco Pasta Salad
I combined trottole pasta with ground beef, corn, pinto beans, fresh tomatoes, red onion, and of course, cheese. What’s Tex-Mex without cheese, right?!?! Yummy!! I then tossed it in a salsa, catalina and ranch dressing and it took this dish right over the top! Soooo good guys! Serve this pasta salad at your next summer picnic, barbecue, or shin-dig and your guests will be begging for more! Yep, I said shin-dig!! Am I giving away my age here? Say Grace and enjoy!! 🙂
Creamy Ranch Taco Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounces trottole pasta
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 Say Grace taco seasoning
- 3/4 c chunky salsa
- 3/4 c ranch dressing
- 3/4 c catalina dressing
- 1 pint grape tomatoes halved
- 3 c romaine lettuce chopped
- 2 c shredded colby jack cheese
- 1/2 c diced red onion
- tortilla chips for serving
- 1 c corn
- 1 15 oz can pinto beans
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the trottole noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside until the pasta has cooled completely.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and fully cooked. Drain off any excess grease/liquid.
- Add the taco seasoning to ground beef, stir together until thoroughly combined, then remove from heat.
- Transfer the cooked ground beef to a small bowl, cover, and allow to cool completely.
- Make the dressing by adding salsa, ranch dressing, and catalina dressing to a small bowl. Stir together to combine.
- Once everything has cooled completely, add the tomatoes, red onions, shredded cheese, lettuce, and dressing mixture to the large bowl. Toss together to combine.
- Mix in the crushed tortilla chips right before serving or serve them on the side so they don’t get soggy. Say Grace and enjoy!
Adapted from Isabel Eats
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